South Africa’s national football team, Bafana Bafana, has suffered a setback ahead of their crucial Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against Congo Brazzaville on Tuesday.
Star striker Lyle Foster has been ruled out of the match due to a knee injury sustained during the first leg encounter last Friday.
The 24-year-old Burnley forward collided with Congolese goalkeeper Christopher Mafoumbi in the opening game at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, which Bafana Bafana won convincingly by 5-0.
Foster underwent scans to assess the severity of the injury, and fortunately, surgery won’t be required. However, team doctor Tshepo Molobi emphasized the need for proper rehabilitation, forcing Foster out of the second leg.
“The nature of the injury does not require surgery,” Molobi explained. “However, time has to be afforded to him for proper rehabilitation and this is why he has been ruled out of the match on Tuesday.”
As a precautionary measure, Foster did not travel with the team to Brazzaville. Instead, he will rejoin his English club Burnley to begin his rehabilitation process.
Despite the absence of their star striker, Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos remains optimistic. He has praised Iqraam Rayners, who replaced Foster in the first leg, for his recent form and believes he can adequately fill the void.
“Lyle (Foster), I think I never saw him so sharp like today,” Broos said after the first leg, according to GOAL. “I saw it already this week and I went to him and said you are sharp, you should keep that.”
The South African team management has opted not to call up a replacement striker for the crucial away fixture.
A win would guarantee Bafana Bafana qualification for the 2025 AFCON finals, while a draw might also be sufficient depending on other results.
